East Himalaya & Northeast
12 places worth going in September · hill towns & valleys.
Darjeeling
Tea estates, the UNESCO toy train and sunrise over Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hill.
Kalimpong
A quieter hill town of flower nurseries, monasteries and old colonial buildings.
Mirik
A lake town ringed by tea gardens and orange orchards, near the Nepal border.
Bomdila
A hill town with a large monastery, apple orchards and views over the Kameng valleys.
Dirang
A river valley of Monpa villages, a stone dzong, hot springs and kiwi orchards on the Tawang road.
Ziro Valley
A wide valley of Apatani villages, pine hills and paddy fields, home to the Ziro Music Festival.
Laitlum Canyons
A grassy rim above huge green gorges, with steps down to the hidden village of Rasong.
Mawlynnong
A spotless Khasi village with a living root bridge and a bamboo sky-view tower over Bangladesh.
Mawsynram & Mawjymbuin Cave
Often called the wettest place on earth, with a limestone cave and a natural Shiva-linga stalagmite.
Shillong
A hill capital of pine ridges, cafes, live music and colonial-era lanes.
Sohra (Cherrapunji)
Plunging waterfalls like Nohkalikai, limestone caves and gorge views over Bangladesh.